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I’ve decided to post my devotion for today because I believe this is something we should be doing as Christians everyday. I don’t go to see old Oswald or visit any stream in the desert, because I believe only the Bible is the Inspired word of God. I don’t see anything wrong with the daily devotional stuff at all, I just prefer to get fresh bread from the hand of the Holy Spirit. So I use the Bible and journal what speaks to me. So having said that here is my devotion for today the 27th of November 2013.

Rev. 1:19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.”

What is more important to remember a business meeting, or meeting with God? Obviously it’s the latter. This is why you journal. God speaks to you and you write it down just like John. You write it down so you will have it for today, and what will come tomorrow.

That’s what I wrote in my journal today in order to remember the importance of writing down what I’m hearing from God! Because His voice is the most important voice we can hear! So write it down!

If you have been a christian for any length of time you’ve read, or heard read “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” What if your cross is to heavy? Every time you look at it you think I can’t do it, I can’t carry it, I’m to weak and wounded.

How do we face such a situation? Believe me these situations will come, pretending they won’t is foolish. In fact you maybe there now struggling to pick up a cross that seems to get heavier, and heavier by the second. There is an answer you know. We find it in the Life of our Lord who also had a cross to pick up. His was a literal physical weight. (Though our emotional, and physical problems can be just as heavy.)

We find the answer in a couple of different places.

First here in Luke 23:26 As they led him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country. They placed the cross on his back and made him carry it behind Jesus.

The second is here in Mathew 11:28 Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Jesus couldn’t carry His cross because He was to weak and weary, so let me ask you this, why are you trying to carry yours? Jesus is our Simon of Cyrene the difference is that Simon was forced to carry the cross, and Jesus longs to carry it for you.

Why not go to Him in prayer crying out to Him when you feel the weight, and let him take it for you. Don’t try to take it back! He has strength to carry what you can’t.

One more quick thing

While writing this I remembered that David Wilkerson has already said this far better than I did so here is the link to His article.

Reflecting on 1 John. I’m reminded of some thing I heard Glen Kaiser say in regards to the way we act and behave toward those we should love. Here is what he said: “The way we treat the people we love the least is the way we love God the most.”
Often our lack of love toward God shows in the way we treat those we love the least, because we should love those around us especially in the Church the way God loved us, with a sacrificial love, a love that doesn’t care about how I am treated but whether or not I am honoring God, regardless of whether they are or not.
A line from one of Kaiser’s songs “Love speak” speaks volumes to me in regards to love.
Love don’t care if you slander its name
It’ll burn at the stake and bless the flame
Rises from the ashes, again and again
And keeps comin’ back for more of the same

I originally wrote this for about 83 friends of mine who belong to a men’s group on Facebook. I decided to re-post it here because I believe we need it. TGBTG

1 John 3:2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever It is revealing we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is.

I read the above verse and was reminded about something. I don’t know about you but I can remember thinking when I was a child. ” I can’t wait until I grow up.” I had no idea what I would look like, be like, or act like, yet I couldn’t wait for it.

John is telling us that in Christ we are little Children. He also say’s what we will be is not yet revealed. Just like when we were literal Children what we would become was yet to be revealed. We couldn’t rush growing up into adulthood then, and we shouldn’t rush our spiritual maturity now.

We need to learn spiritual maturity day by day, and not try to rush it. We can slow down and learn the lessons of growing in Christ once. Because the church is full of rushed growth people that are ineffective for the kingdom of God. They suffer, their families suffer, and the Church suffers.

I have advice for you. Grow up physically and be a mature adult, but spiritually don’t rush it. Go through every phase of your walk with Christ and allow our heavenly Father to develop into you the nature and character of Jesus Christ.

1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.

I read this and couldn’t help but think about both of our political parties. The Dem’s claim to care about people and focus on the deed, the Repub’s claim to care about people so they speak what they claim is truth, however true love is both deed and truth.

They are both liars because neither truly love the people and it shows in their actions. However God shows us how to love in deed and truth through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus loved the people by speaking truth, healing the sick, and ultimately doing for the world what they could never do for themselves.

Reconcile them to the Father by the greatest love act any one could do. Laying down His life for us. Praise God!!!

Imagine what Christian homes would look like if each of us would take the above verse and apply it to our lives daily ! How would the gospel spread if we applied it daily to those around us! Let’s love others by speaking truth, and then doing the deeds of love.

While watching a talk show one morning, I saw country music artist Thomas Rhett singing his song “Beer with Jesus”. As I listened to the words I couldn’t help think as he sang the chorus “You don’t have to wait for the answers to the questions you are asking, because Jesus answered them already.” Allow me to parody how this conversation might go in a question answer format.

Q: How’d you turn the other cheek, To save a sorry soul like me?

A: Because I love you, Listen to my word. John 3:16 “For this is the way36 God loved the world: He gave his one and only37 Son, so that everyonewho believes in him will not perish38 but have eternal life.39 3:17 For God did not send his Soninto the world to condemn the world,40 but that the world should be saved through him.” My love for you drove me to turn the other cheek and lay down my life and pay the penalty you deserve.

Q: Do you hear the prayers I send?

A: Yes, I do hear them especially the ones you whisper when you don’t think any one can hear. I hear your prayers, see your tears, and long to save your soul if you would only believe in me.

Q: What happens when life ends?

A: That’s an easy one. When you die if you have believed in me as the Lord of your life repented of your sin (Repentance is turning from your sin and walking in my ways) then you join me in heaven. If not then you are judged for your sin an sent to hell. Again hear my word: John 3:18 “The one who believes in him is not condemned.41 The one who does not believe has been condemned42 already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only43 Son of God”.

Q: And when you think you’re comin’ back again?A: I’m not telling you this. I am coming back so get your life right and be ready. Because after my return for the Church, and the 7 years of tribulation there will be no repentance and you will be eternally condemned. Mankind will be judged and punished for sin. My grace is here and now so repent and believe.

Q: How’d you change a sinner’s heart?

A: I shed my blood and apply it to their hearts when they repent of their sin and believe in me. At that moment they become new! All of what they have done and what had been done to them is washed away and they are new creations! HAHA! Listen to my the words I spoke through Paul: “So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away32 – look, what is new33 has come!” 2nd Corinthians 5:17 I love doing this! It’s so much fun!

Q: And is heaven really just beyond the stars?

A: Don’t worry about where heaven is just worry about getting there.

Q: What’s on the other side?A: Heaven or Hell.

Q: Is mom and daddy alright?

A: They are fine, they want you to be with them here.

Q: And if it ain’t no trouble tell them I said hi.A: No trouble at all.

The end.

I’m of course making up the end, however I believe Mr Rhett would be better off to skip the beer and pick up his Bible, and so would we.

Again this is a parody of what might take place during this supposed conversation. I take a strong stance, and believe Christians should not drink because of the appearance of evil it gives.

The other day it was 18 degrees for the high, and I had to be outside working until 10 PM. I knew I had to dress for it, but what was I going to wear? So I picked out what I thought would help keep the cold away, and went to work. I’ve learned that the extreme can be hard to deal with if you aren’t prepared. So we have to be prepared to deal with the extremes of our society, in order to be effective in reaching our world for Jesus!

We may not like it, but America is not a Christian nation anymore; and because it’s not we have to learn how to deal with the extremes that this brings. For example, I work with people who believe that same sex marriage is OK. I also work very closely with Gay men, and Women. At the same time I also work side by side with people who live with their opposite sex partners, and foul language is the norm from both co-workers and customers. Today this is a fact of life in a secular job!

So just like the extreme cold, or the extreme heat we have to learn how to dress in order to face the extremes of our society successfully. The Truth is we can effectively reach America with the gospel if we are prepared to face the extremes. In order to face the cold I dress in layers, To face the heat I wear shorts and the lightest T-shirt I can find. We as Christians also need to put on the proper attire (spiritually speaking) in order to reach our country with the gospel.

So what is the proper attire? Well, I think it’s two things, Grief, and love. Why those two things? Because, I believe those two things reveal the heart of Jesus for the lost of this world. We know it was love that called Jesus to come and die for the world, however His grief over the sin of mankind is just as evident. ” But as he came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead, he began to weep. 42 “How I wish today that you of all people would understand the way to peace.” Lk 19:41-42

We need to grieve over the lost and dying of America who suffer the consequences of their unbelief, and show our love toward them in both word and deed! This is the nature and character of Jesus in us, and in action through us. Grief and Love! The garments that will face the extremes of the world we live in!

I don’t see this in the life of the church of the 21st century. We need…I need to put this on more and more each day! The other day I grieved as I learned of a young girl who found out she has contracted an std from her ex-boyfriend. I grieved at the words of a gay coworker who said she went to church and wasn’t welcomed. I heard a woman on the radio weep as she spoke of an abortion she had almost forty years ago, I was moved as she spoke of her shame, and fear of being rejected by her Church, because of their strong opposition to abortion. Views she now shared because of her decision forty years ago.

We claim to love the lost…..but do we? Do we really? I lost a dear friend almost two years ago. I still grieve over the loss because I loved him. I want to feel that toward my co-workers, friends, and family who have yet to know Jesus. If we would cry out to feel the grief and love that God feels for the lost and dying of this world, then obedience and self sacrifice would be the norm in the body of Christ instead of the exception. I’m afraid though we don’t dress for the extremes of this world because we refuse to go out and do the work we need to do in it.

How to become a Christian

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:
and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;
but the wrath of God abideth on him.

3. Confess The Lord Jesus.

Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead,
thou shalt be saved.

Next Say This Prayer Believing With All Your Heart

Lord Jesus,
I know that I am a sinner. Lord the sinful life that I lived separated me
from you. Lord forgive me of my sins. I know I owe a sin debt that I cannot pay.
Lord I believe that you died on the cross and rose on the third day to
pay my sin dept.Lord I'm sorry for my sins. From this day forward
I will put all my trust in you, Lord show me how to live a Christian life
In Jesus name,Amen